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Scott County Sheriff Put Others First

Those who knew Scott County Sheriff Cody Carpenter remembered him as a man dedicated to duty who treated everyone he met with the utmost respect.

Carpenter, who was 40 at the time of his re-election for a fifth term in November 2012, lived in Waldron his entire life. He first became sheriff in 2004, and served in the department since 1996.

On Friday, Carpenter’s body was found about a mile downstream of Fourche LaFave River after he and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission wildlife officer Joel Campora responded to a 911 call at a residence where two women lived near Y City as floods devastated the area.

Sebastian County Sheriff Bill Hollenbeck said he knew Carpenter for at least 15 years, stemming from Hollenbeck’s days as a Criminal Investigation Division supervisor. He said he worked with Carpenter on numerous occasions working drug cases.

“When I first became sheriff, he was one of the first sheriffs who really reached out to me and, in a way, took me under his wing,” Hollenbeck said.

Not only was Carpenter a good sheriff, Hollenbeck said, but he was an outstanding detective.

Carpenter was a great teacher, outlining potential mistakes a sheriff could make, and provided advice that Hollenbeck held close to his heart, he said.

“He knew how to speak to people,” Hollenbeck said. “He treated people with so much respect.”

Scott County Judge James Forbes described Carpenter as “The best sheriff I’ve ever seen,” at a Friday news conference near Y City.

Vestal Hutchens, 63, serves as a deacon at Southside Baptist Church in Waldron where Carpenter attended since he was a child. He said he knew Carpenter his entire life.

Hutchens said the church’s pastor called him about 6 a.m. Friday to tell him Carpenter had been missing since 3 a.m. that morning, and was found dead about 8 a.m.

“I burst into tears and went into praying,” Hutchens said. “We came into town when we heard Cody had been found and not survived.”

In a news release, U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., described Carpenter as a dedicated public servant who gave his life trying to save those trapped in the terrible floods.

“A leader who was never content sitting behind a desk, Sheriff Carpenter bravely put the safety of others before his own to protect those in harm’s way,” Boozman stated. “My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and the community during this difficult time.”

U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., also commended Carpenter for his dedication to duty.

“I am deeply saddened to hear about the death of Scott County Sheriff Cody Carpenter, and I join Arkansans across the state in expressing my deepest condolences to his loved ones,” Cotton stated. “As we mourn his loss, we also honor his sacrifice and bravery.”

Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said Carpenter was a personal friend to him and other law enforcement agents on his staff.

“The sheriff demonstrated his professionalism, courtesy and dedication to the people of Scott County every day,” McDaniel stated. “I will always be grateful for his heroism, service and extraordinary sense of duty to his fellow man.”

Carpenter left behind his wife, Amie, and four children, Garren, Christian, Douglas and Irelynn.